(57)Fe Mossbauer absorption measurements are reported indicating that CuFeSe(2) and CuFeTe(2) have both a ground state of spin-density waves (SDW) nature. For the selenide it is a transverse commensurate SDW with T(N) = 71 K and for the telluride it is an incommensurate SDW with T(N) = 308 K. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.